Mumbai’s First Travelator Skywalk Connecting Mumbai Monorail and Mahalakshmi Metro Station Shortened

Mumbai’s first travelator-equipped skywalk connecting the monorail and Metro Line 3 at Mahalaxmi has been shortened. The original plan has changed and now commuters will have to walk through crowded roads and footpaths to switch between the two transport systems.

The footover bridge (FOB) was planned planned at a length of 384 metres as a direct connection between the Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk monorail station and the Mahalaxmi Metro station on Metro Line 3. Under the revised design, the skywalk will now end at Jacob Circle, also known as Saat Rasta, around 200 metres away from the metro station.

Passengers using the interchange will now have to walk through congested pedestrian paths and cross three lanes at the busy Saat Rasta junction to move between the metro and monorail networks.

The revised project has raised questions around Mumbai’s long-discussed “multi-modal integration” plan. This will create smooth and seamless transfers between different public transport systems in the city.

As per a report by Indian Express, the alignment later became difficult because of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s flyover coming from Keshavrao Khadye Marg. The official said the flyover made it technically impossible to complete the direct connection as originally planned.

Another reason for changing the alignment was the impact on trees near Jacob Circle. As per reports, the earlier design would have affected 78 trees in the area. The new alignment avoids the need for tree cutting.

The redesign has also reduced the overall project cost. According to officials, shortening the skywalk by around 100 metres has lowered expenses by more than INR 10 crore. The project contract was awarded to a joint venture led by Niraj Cement Structurals Ltd at the cost of INR 82.66 crore.

The revised interchange plan has also triggered discussion online. Some users questioned the connectivity of the monorail system and the lack of direct links with other transport networks.

One user wrote that the monorail should have been extended all the way to the railway station and the Blue metro line. Another user commented that the monorail itself was unnecessary and described it as an infrastructure gimmick.